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Vol 05 Chapter 141: Fiscal Reform III

「Hey, Julia, Tetra. Do you think we should cultivate cannabis and poppies?」

I called the two of them and asked.

They are both magicians. Magicians are specialists in narcotics.

It’s best to ask the right people for the right advice.

「I think it’s a good idea. I’m in favor of it. It’s profitable, and as long as we export it abroad, it should be fine.」

「…Only idiots would consume something that damages the brain. If they want to kill themselves, let them.」

Julia was strongly in favor, while Tetra was reluctantly supportive.

Hmm…

In reality, there’s nothing disadvantageous about monopolizing the narcotics trade.

Since domestic cultivation and resale of narcotics would be strictly prohibited, we could effectively prevent the spread of drugs within the country. Additionally, we could ensure a stable supply of high-quality narcotics to magicians, and the country would have the advantage of being able to control the movements of these magicians.

And above all, it’s profitable.

Cannabis, in particular, is extremely useful. It grows quickly and is resistant to diseases. It can be easily cultivated without pesticides or fertilizers.

In fact, it’s quite nutritious, its leaves can be turned into fibers, and its roots are beneficial for soil improvement.

In Japan, before the Cannabis Control Act was enacted after World War II, cannabis cultivation was actually encouraged. Especially in Hokkaido, where cultivation was widespread, even now, wild cannabis grows abundantly.

Fundamentally, cannabis has low toxicity.

That’s why its legalization was becoming a trend on Earth.

Incidentally, cannabis absorbs a large amount of carbon dioxide as it grows, which helps in preventing global warming. Though that’s irrelevant in this world.

There are only advantages.

Yet, the reason I am so conflicted about this is likely due to the difference in ethics from my previous life.

…It’s too late now. The ethical standards of modern Japan simply don’t apply in this world.

「We’ll implement a monopoly system. From now on, the cultivation of cannabis and poppies within the country will be strictly prohibited for anyone outside the country itself.」

We’ll cultivate cannabis and poppies at a ratio of about five to one. The processed narcotics from cannabis and poppies will only be sold to foreign merchants who have received government approval and magicians with the proper credentials.

Resale within the country will be strictly prohibited.

Cannabis can be used as fiber for textiles, the fiber doesn’t have narcotic properties, so most of the cultivated cannabis will be allocated to the fiber industry.

The cannabis fibers left behind after the narcotics and the edible parts are processed can be sold to the textile craftsmen at a fixed price.

「This should make us a significant profit…」

I feel like I’ve done something morally questionable as a human being. …Though it’s a little too late for that now.

◇

「Ron, Roswald, Gram. Thank you for coming.」

After deciding on the monopoly for cannabis and poppies, I summoned the three of them. The three of them knelt and bowed their heads.

「Your Majesty!!!」

「Everyone’s been calling me ‘Your Majesty’ a lot lately.」

I said with a wry smile.

The three of them were also smiling.

They were pleased that my authority had become firmly established.

「So, what do you need from us, Leader?」

Ron asked.

「Well, to get straight to the point… I’m disbanding the heavy infantry and light infantry of the Praetorian Cohort. From now on, the Praetorian Cohort will consist solely of cavalry… In other words, Roswald will become the Captain of the Praetorian Cohort.」

In future wars, it will be the cavalry that decides the outcome. Heavy infantry and light infantry can be adequately performed by conscripted soldiers, but cavalry cannot.

Moreover, maintaining a cavalry force is costly. There is no money to spend on maintaining heavy and light infantry.

「So, we’re being fired?」

I nodded in response to Gram’s question.

「Not fired… I’m thinking of assigning you to a different role.」

Our country’s finances depended until now on our monopoly on salt, distilled liquor, and paper. Of these, salt was produced only from rock salt mines, and the methods for making distilled liquor and paper were known only to me (not anymore as I’ve shared the knowledge with the patricians).

Up until now, smuggling wasn’t a concern, these items were difficult to procure outside of official channels. However, cannabis and poppies are different.

All one needs are seeds and the ability to grow them. After that, they could simply ask a magician to process them into narcotics.

Smuggling them would be easy. The illicit sale of narcotics could become a source of revenue for criminal organizations and would render the monopoly meaningless.

This is something that absolutely must be prevented.

Therefore, strict control is necessary.

At the same time, we must take measures to detect enemy spies. We must create a police force, although its role will be more like a secret police than a normal police force.

「It’s a behind-the-scenes, unglamorous job, but it’s crucial. This is a task I can only entrust to those I truly trust. So, I want you to take it on. Since Roswald will be leading the cavalry, it falls to either Ron or Gram…」

Ron nodded quietly.

「Then I’ll do it, Your Majesty.」

「Thank you. Let me know if you need any budget or personnel. I’ll provide as much support as possible.」

I turned my gaze to Gram. Gram looked directly at me and asked,

「What should I do?」

「I want you to take charge of the development of the Romalia Forest.」

I explained the development plan for the Romalia Forest to Gram.

「I think it’s best for someone who is familiar and friendly with Griffon-sama to be in charge of the Romalia Forest. That’s why I want you to do it.」

「Understood. So, I’ll be building villages and connecting them with roads, right?」

「That’s right. …Let me know if you need anything.」

With this, we’ve decided on the person in charge of narcotics control, spy countermeasures, and the Romalia Forest development plan.

「Your Majesty, how much are we increasing the cavalry?」

Roswald raised his hand and asked.

「Well, I plan to increase it as much as possible…」

A standing army costs money. Cavalry, in particular, are a financial drain.

A thousand might be the limit. It depends on the growth of the country’s strength.

「For now, I’m thinking of doubling the number to six hundred. We’ll buy the horses from the Equus Tribe.」

We’ll trade iron tools for them. It’s more profitable and convenient than buying from the Kirisians.

「Understood. I’ll give my all to train the cavalry!!」

Roswald rolled up his sleeves.

Don’t overdo it, you tend to go off the rails when you get pumped.

◇

「Your Majesty, how are things going?」

「Well, not bad. The fiscal reforms are progressing. …By the way, it’s unusual for you to request a meeting.」

Bartolo came yesterday and asked for an audience. Since I was busy talking with Ron and the others yesterday, I had him stay overnight.

「Your Majesty, how do you plan to proceed with the confiscation of the patrician’s lands?」

「I don’t remember talking to you about that… You’re a sharp one.」

「You hinted at it on the battlefield.」

Well, that’s true.

Bartolo is a patrician who doesn’t belong to the Rosais, Aris, or Dibel Families. I planned to discuss the confiscation with him after convincing the Rosais Family.

「I’m currently negotiating with the Rosais Family. Once that’s done, I’ll work on breaking up the Dibel Family. Many in the Dibel Family are economically struggling, so it should be relatively easy. Next will be patricians like you, who don’t belong to any Family.」

And finally, the Aris Family. The Aris Family, being the winners of the recent civil war, are economically stable.

Convincing the Aris Family will be extremely difficult. We might have to brace ourselves for another civil war.

「How long do you plan to take?」

「About three years, I think? That should be enough time. By the way, is that why you came to talk?」

Bartolo shook his head.

「No, I think our army needs a military reform.」

Military reform? I called Ron and the others yesterday to strengthen the cavalry…

I’m referring to a more fundamental reform. Please read this first.」

Bartolo handed me a well-organized plan.

As expected, he’s not just a drunk old man.

Bartolo’s proposal consisted of three main points.

First, divide the population into six classes based on wealth, occupation, and age, and determine their roles during conscription.

• Wealthy merchants, wealthy landowners, and patrician children: Cavalry
• Young plebeian landowners: Frontline heavy infantry
• Middle-aged, experienced plebeian landowners: Middle rank heavy infantry
• Veteran plebeian landowners: Rear rank heavy infantry
• Tenant farmers: Light infantry (javelin throwers, archers)
• Indigent citizens, unemployed: Scouts, slingers

The army of King Rosais’ Country is based on conscription. Weapons are generally self-purchased. So dividing the population by wealth makes sense. Creating a separate class for cavalry is also a good idea.

Second, conscription will be conducted by region, with training held four times a month.

Previously, small and medium-sized patrician families essentially owned each region, so conscription was left to them. However, as the royal authority has grown, the number of these patrician families has decreased. Establishing a new conscription system is urgent.

Training four times a month is also a good idea. It maintains quality.

◇

I see. Indeed, it seems like it would be better to make these reforms.

I’m not suited for military matters, after all. Until Bartolo proposed it, military issues hadn’t crossed my mind.

So far, so good.

The problem is the third point.

Third, a change in tactics.

I need a detailed explanation of this.

「Your Majesty, our army’s tactics have historically relied on phalanx charges. However, with my echelon formation and Your Majesty’s cavalry flanking maneuvers, our tactics are evolving. Instead of direct charges, we need mobile units capable of outflanking and defeating the enemy.」

The weakness of the phalanx is its flanks. A phalanx is extremely vulnerable to side attacks and can quickly collapse.

We’ve always exploited that weakness…

「Our current phalanx tactics don’t suit our evolving strategies. Phalanxes lack flexibility. Also, we can’t assume that our enemies won’t exploit our weaknesses. Other countries must have recognized the importance of cavalry after recent battles.」

Hmm… Go on.

「The weaknesses of the phalanx were highlighted in our battles with the Rozel Kingdom. Once a phalanx becomes disorganized, it can’t recover. In contrast, the Rozel Kingdom’s army was much harder to break. They had excellent flexibility.」

Indeed, the Rozel Kingdom’s army was significantly different from ours. Their weapons were longswords, and there were large gaps between their units.

They also seemed more resistant to flanking attacks.

I had assumed it was thanks to General Kuryuu’s command, but perhaps it was due to their different tactics.

「Specifically, what do you propose?」

When I asked that, Bartolo smiled as if he had been waiting for this moment.

「Up until now, our army has been divided into units of ten, a hundred, and a thousand. However, this lacks flexibility. So, we should reorganize into units of ten, a hundred, five hundred, and fifteen hundred, making the five-hundred-man unit the basic unit. We’ll leave wide intervals between these five-hundred-man units, giving the army greater flexibility. The issue of gaps in the formation can be managed with agile movements. If a unit takes damage, we can quickly replace it with a unit from the rear. This allows for continuous combat capability. The challenge is getting the soldiers to move according to this strategy, but we can solve this with the monthly training sessions. Additionally, we will strengthen the authority of the centurions.」

This is quite detailed. It might not be a bad idea.

「And now for the crucial part… Using spears would undermine our newfound flexibility. Therefore, we will switch to swords as the primary weapon. The main armament will be javelins, shields, and swords. The swords will be modeled after those of the Rozel Kingdom.」

Switching to swords as the primary weapon…

In war, it’s a well-known fact that longer weapons have the advantage. Oda Nobunaga is famous for equipping his soldiers with long spears.

The spear has been the primary weapon of war.

However, Bartolo is well aware of this. Despite that, he is proposing the switch to longswords.

Will it be alright? Can shields effectively counter enemy spears?

…Is it safe to make such a significant change?

But I do understand the need for change…

Alright then…

「Here’s what we’ll do. Do you remember the southern lands we seized in the recent war? I’ll transfer to you those lands and the adjacent territories. Their population should be around twenty thousand. You should be able to field up to three thousand soldiers. Train those soldiers in any way you want. Engage in several skirmishes to test if your theories are correct.」

Bartolo’s eyes widened at my proposal.

「Are you really giving me such a vast territory and so many soldiers?」

「I’ll take all your lands in due time, so it’s not a big loss.」

「Haha, that’s true. Well, as long as I can fight, I’m satisfied. I don’t want to deal with politics.」

Bartolo gave a wry smile.

「As for the soldiers, I trust you. However, you must report regularly on their numbers and condition.」

「…Your Majesty… Thank you. For my sake… Also, I don’t want to deal with politics, so please send a deputy. I want to focus solely on training the army.」

Well, if that’s the case. I’ll select someone suitable from the Rosais Family to act as deputy.

They’re about to become unemployed, after all.

「If you’re going to do it, do it perfectly. Understood?」

「Understood, Your Majesty. I’ll create the strongest army in the world.」

◇

Later, the tactics that Bartolo developed, although refined over time, would become the invincible strategy of the Romalia Empire for about five hundred years. With this strategy, the Romalia Empire’s army would dominate most of the western world.

But that is a story for the future.